Knife-switch.



J. J. HARTLEY.

KNIFE SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5,1904.

Patented May 9, 1911.

Witnesses UNITED STATES PATENT (OFFICE.

JAMES J. HARTLEY, F scHENEc'rAnY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'ro GENERAL ELEc'rmc ooMrANY, A oonron 'rIoN on NEW YORK.

nNI E-swrroH.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1911.

Applicationfiled July 5, 1904. 'Serial No. 215,226.

f To all whom it may concern:

\ Be it known that I, JAMES J. HARTLEY,

a citizen of the United States, residing 'at Schenectady, county of' Schenectady, State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knife-Switches, of which the followin is a specification.

This invention re ates to electric switches, and its object is to' simplify the construction of the same, and facilitate and cheapen the manufacture thereof.

The novel features are the pivot-pin for the blade and the mode of fastening the blade to the insulating piece carrying the haiitdle.

the accompanyin drawin Fi re 1 is a longitudinal sect-i on of ag two -ldlade switch embodying'my' improvements; Fig.

2 is a cross-section of the pivot on a larger scale, with the parts assembled before completion; Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the pivot completed; Fig. 4 is an end view of a blade; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one end thereof; and Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the joint between the blade and the handle-sup: porting cross-piece. j

The 'switch' may be of anydesired style of construction, the one illustrated being a simple two-bladed knife-switch, having a base 1 of insulation, hinge-clips 2, contact-- clips 3, blades 4; pivoted to the hinge-clips and shutting into the contact-clips, a crosspiece 5 connecting the free ends of the blades, and a handle 6 suitably attached to the cross-piece, as" by a screw-threaded shank 7.

The jaws 8 of the hinge-clip-are held in close contact with the blade by the head 9 on a pivot-pin 9, and a spring washer 10.

Heretofore the washer has been secured by a cotter or split pin passing through a transverse hole in the projecting end 'ofthe pivotpin or by a bolt and nut. The cotter is objectionable because considerable time is conber of parts, I use a pivot-pin having a split shank 9 provided with an inclined surface at the point where it engages. with the eye of the washer.. This surface is preferably one side of a'circumferential groove 9 in the'pin. When the ends of the pin are spread apart, the inclined wall of the groove forces the middle of the washer in toward the clip, so that its edges are sure to exert a firm pressure thereon. This action will be fullyunderstood from a comparison of Figs. 2 and 3; the latter showing the completedstructure. The operation 'of assem-' bli-ng the parts and spreading open the pin can e quickly performed, and saves an appreciable amount of time in the manufacture of the switch. It will .be' noticed that theshank of the pin has a solid section adjacent to the head 9 to afford a smooth bearing for the' switch-blade. v

My invention also includes-a simple but rigid" joint between the switch-blade and the insulating cross-piece, which serves as a support for the handle. Here, again, the object is to save material, reduce the number of parts, and lessen the time of manufacture, in orderto decrease cost'and increase out-put. The end of the blade is let into A a groove 11 in the cross-piece, and adjacent thereto a tongue 12 is punched outof the blade, integral therewith and standing preferably at right angles thereto against the adjacent face of the'cross-piece. A screw 13 passes through a hole in the cross-piece and engages with a tapped hole 14; in the tongue. The cross-piece is preferably counter-sunk for the head of the screw as shown in Fig. 6, to preyent the hand .of the switch-opera torhfrom making accidental contact therewit- While I have shown and described my invention as applied to a double pole switch,

,itevident that it is equally applicable to switches having any number of blades. W What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent" of the United States, is:

1. A pivot-pin for anelectric switch, having a split shank and a circumferential groove.

2. The combination with a switch-blade and a hinge-clip, of a spring-washer and a pivot-pin having a split shank and an in clined surface in the sides thereof engaging the eye of said washer.

, 3. The combination with a switch-blade and hinge-clip, of a spring-washer, and a pivot-pin having a split shank and a bin cumferential groove engaging with said washer.

4. In a switch the combination with an inslilating handle sup'port having a transverse slot therein, of a blade having one end entering said slot and an integral tongue at an angle thereto located a distance from the end of. the blade, and a fastening screw en- 10 gagingsaid tongue.

5. In a. switch, the combination with an insulating handle-support, of a blade entering a groove in said support, an integral tongue punched-up from said blade and 15 standing. adjacent to the-side of said support, and a screw passing through said support 'into said tongue. 1-

6. In a: joint for switch blades, the com bination with an insulating bar provided with a recess, of a blade extending directly 20 into said recess, aclip extendin from the blade at a distance from the end t erect, and

a securing screw tappedinto the ten'ninall of the clip.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set 25 my hand this 1st day of July, 1904 I JAMES J. HARTLEY. Wit-nesses:- 1

BENJAMIN- B. HULL HELEN 0121mm). 

